Recycling as a company is all about habit. Think about it. When you have a piece of trash you instinctively toss it in the trash bin. That is a habit built up over many years. I find the same is true with recycling. If you have a blue bin in your office for recycling copy paper all you have to do is get everyone to get in the habit of tossing their used paper into it instead of the trash bin. It takes a while but it is very effective.

When I started recycling as a company I offered positive reinforcement at the beginning to motivate staff to recycle. For instance, when we put a recycling bin in the break room for aluminum and plastic bottles and cans, I offered a prize for the person who deposited the most items in the can. I tied a permanent marker to the bin and had everyone put their initials on the item they were tossing. At first people were doing it for the prize, but after a couple of months they were just habitually tossing their cans and bottles into the bin. It worked like a charm.

Recycling as a company is a great way to contribute to protecting the Earth and when done as a group it is a lot easier to make a difference. You can motivate your staff like I did through prizes or you can just educate them on how they are helping the green cause. Once they see examples of how recycling as a company makes a difference they will no doubt be happy to partake in recycling part of the daily routine. One thing I have done is reward staffers who come up with interesting and new ways to recycle too.

Here is something to think about for recycling as a company. Instead of buying all new office furniture when you need it, why not buy used? Sites like Craig’s List are great for finding gently used office furniture. This is the ultimate in recycling because you keep the furniture from getting into landfills by using it over and over again. It also saves you a lot of money. Recycling as a company is all about attitude and habit. Doing your part as a company to help the Earth is not just the right thing to do but it can also help the bottom line.